New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said Washington and New Delhi will soon reach a trade deal.Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said that India benefited from trade imbalance for years, but now the situation has changed.Trump said, “I like your Prime Minister very much. He is a good friend of mine and we have a good relationship. We have a good relationship.”He said, “For years, India took advantage of the United States. They charged us huge fees and did not pay anything. Now it is quite the opposite and we are making a lot of money with India. But we will reach an agreement.”This comes amid ongoing efforts by both countries to strengthen economic ties and resolve long-standing trade issues.India and the United States concluded four-day trade talks in New Delhi between June 1 and June 4, in which officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), led by the Chief Negotiator, discussed with Indian counterparts issues such as trade in goods, customs procedures, trade facilitation, non-tariff barriers and economic security cooperation.Both sides described the talks as constructive and said efforts are underway to conclude a mutually beneficial interim trade agreement, while negotiations on a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement (BTA) continue in parallel.Momentum toward a deal has strengthened in recent weeks. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore said that talks are nearing completion, with only a limited number of issues still unresolved. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has similarly indicated that while most of the matters have been resolved, discussions now focus on finalizing the remaining details before the unveiling of the first phase of the agreement.Despite talks progressing, concerns remain over the Trump administration’s possible move to impose additional 12.5% ​​tariffs on imports from 60 economies, including India.A separate USTR proposal could further complicate negotiations. The review, conducted under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, covers 60 economies and focuses on concerns over imports allegedly involving forced labour.Under the proposal, economies that have banned such imports could face tariffs of 10%, while economies that have not taken comparable measures could face duties of up to 12.5%. The economies under review include India, China, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, Bangladesh and Vietnam.US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said countries that do not adequately address imports involving forced labor create an uneven playing field for American workers. Despite uncertainty over tariffs, both New Delhi and Washington have continued to express confidence that an interim trade agreement can be finalized soon.